Dil Na'od: The Last Aksumite King and the Zagwe Coup

When did the Aksumite Empire truly end? Episode 74 of Ethiopia's Ancient Empire: Africa's Hidden Superpower dives into the shadowy reign of Dil Na'od, the last Aksumite king, whose defeat by the Zagwe general Mara Takla Haymanot around 1150 CE marked the end of an era. We explore the scant historical sources: the royal chronicles, the Gadla Lalibela (Lalibela's hagiography), and the Kebra Nagast's version of events. How did a king whose name means 'the covenant of the shepherd' preside over the collapse of a superpower? Was the Zagwe takeover a brutal conquest or a power transfer within the elite? Lucas and Luna unpack the competing narratives, the role of the Amhara province, the mysterious 'Jewish queen' Gudit, and the last recorded Aksumite military campaign into the interior. They also discuss the fate of Dil Na'od's dynasty — did his line survive in the Shewa region, setting the stage for Yekuno Amlak's restoration a century later? A story of twilight, legend, and the fragile thread of history. #Ethiopia #Aksum #DilNaod #ZagweDynasty #MaraTaklaHaymanot #KebraNagast #Gudit #Amhara #Shewa #YekunoAmlak #GadlaLalibela #LastKing #MedievalAfrica #EastAfrica #SolomonicDynasty #Coup #FexingoHistory #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo